The Hague (Netherlands) has become the world’s first city to enact a law banning advertisements that promote fossil fuel products and climate-harmful services.
The legislation prohibits both public and private advertising for petrol, diesel, aviation, and cruise ships across the city, including on billboards and bus shelters. This new law will take effect from the beginning of next year.
This marks the first instance of a city introducing a legally binding ban on high-carbon advertisements through local legislation. The decision aligns with a call from UN Secretary-General António Guterres earlier this year, urging governments and media to impose similar restrictions, akin to tobacco advertising bans.
While some cities have tried to restrict high-carbon product ads through council motions or voluntary agreements with ad operators, The Hague’s approach is unique. For example, Edinburgh city council agreed in May to ban fossil fuel-related advertising on council-owned spaces, including those for airlines, fossil fuel-powered vehicles, cruise ships, and arms. In Edinburgh, companies selling these products can no longer sponsor events or partnerships.
The Hague’s law, which took two years to finalise, is legally binding. It targets fossil fuel products and services with high carbon footprints but does not extend to political advertisements from fossil fuel companies or general brand promotions.
Femke Sleegers from Reclame Fossielvrij, the Dutch group advocating for fossil-free advertising and supporting the campaign for the ban, explained that previous efforts failed due to non-compliance from ad operators. “The Hague shows the courage needed to tackle the climate crisis,” she said.
Thijs Bouman, an associate professor of environmental psychology at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, noted that fossil fuel advertising undermines climate policies by normalising unsustainable behaviour. He stressed that major government investments are needed to mitigate the negative impact of such ads and that banning them would allow resources to be better allocated towards sustainable options, like improving public transport.
The Hague’s legislation is expected to inspire similar initiatives globally, with cities like Toronto in Canada and Graz in Austria showing interest. A similar law has been proposed in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, which, along with neighboring Haarlem, has previously imposed non-legislative bans on climate-damaging products such as meat.
“More cities have a wish to implement the fossil ad ban through [an] ordinance, but they were all waiting for some other city to go first. The Hague is this city,” said Sleegers.